THE WAR ON CHRISTMAS!!!!! Topic

Posted by bistiza on 3/22/2013 3:25:00 PM (view original):The radical atheists have an agenda of attempting to thwart any and all religious activities of others. They realize they don't have any legal ground on which to do this in most circumstances, but if they can find even the smallest of potential legal footholds somewhere, they're going to climb on and keep going until someone stops them.

What they really should do is mind their own business and leave other people alone. Instead they have to seek out these circumstances where they can challenge the beliefs of others, because they apparently have nothing better to do than to cause problems.

Funny, many world religions spend a lot of time helping people, yet it's difficult to find atheist organizations doing anything but causing problems.

I'm certainly not agreeing with biz. World religions "helping" people usually means they're trying to indoctrinate the people they're helping into their way of thinking. I'm sure the athiest organizations feel like they're "helping" people also. Their "allies orgs" are familiar. And that's what they do.

What they do doesn't help anyone but themselves. It just stirs up trouble and causes problems.

You're right, there are atheist organizations. Those groups have an agenda but are on the fringe, similar to PETA, the NRA, Focus on the Family, etc. Most people who identify as atheist don't belong to any such group or have any agenda. They just don't believe in god.

Do you really know that to be true? I have no idea how many athiests there are in the world(or the USA).

People like me who believe in a Higher Power but don't associate themselves with a specific religion have to qualify as "believing in God". It's certainly not atheism. Would you think the numbers would be similar to athiests? What "organization" are we grouped with?

Anyway, I have no idea how many members any of the listed athiests organizations have. If they're going to be declared "fringe", we probably need to know that. And, FWIW, are the people who push the "agendas" that bis mentioned even members of these organizations?

Posted by MikeT23 on 3/25/2013 12:51:00 PM (view original):Do you really know that to be true? I have no idea how many athiests there are in the world(or the USA).

People like me who believe in a Higher Power but don't associate themselves with a specific religion have to qualify as "believing in God". It's certainly not atheism. Would you think the numbers would be similar to athiests? What "organization" are we grouped with?

Anyway, I have no idea how many members any of the listed athiests organizations have. If they're going to be declared "fringe", we probably need to know that. And, FWIW, are the people who push the "agendas" that bis mentioned even members of these organizations?

The US atheist population is somewhere between 2 and 4%, depending on the study.

Spiritual/non-denominational. Somewhere between 10 and 30% of the population. No organization that I know of.

OK, according to this website, http://www.census.gov/population/www/popclockus.html, 2% would be roughly 6m. An older study suggested that 25% of the population is under 18(I used voting age for one to determine if they're athiest. I'm sure people have decided before/after that age but I needed a number). That puts the number at 4.5m. Could that be a fringe number? Or, of that 4.5m, how many would have to be a member of an athiest organization for that org to not be considered fringe?

I'm against animal abuse but, fortunately for anyone within viewing range, I'm not stripping down on the sidewalk to protest it. That seems like a fringe activity and, because of that, I think PETA is a fringe group.

You, being an athiest, are against Jesus displays at government buildings. I don't think you're going to rip them down when you walk by but I'm not sure any of these athiest organizations are doing that either. That would be "fringe", IMO Seems like they migh write a nasty letter to someone though. I could probably equate that arguing with swampy on the internet about the War on Christmas. If you agree, would you consider yourself a fringe athiest?

You're right, there are atheist organizations. Those groups have an agenda but are on the fringe, similar to PETA, the NRA, Focus on the Family, etc. Most people who identify as atheist don't belong to any such group or have any agenda. They just don't believe in god.

I'm not sure why they have to identify themselves as being "atheists" or anything at all for that matter. If you don't believe in something, you simply don't believe in it.

I don't believe in ghosts, but I don't go out looking to find and identify myself as part of a larger group of people who also don't believe in ghosts. It's completely pointless.

I'm glad you can at least admit some of these people DO have agendas. However, I think the other groups you claim are "on the fringe" are not anywhere close to the fringe of society and actually have far more of a legitimate claim to do what they do than any of these crazy atheist groups.